Today I learned 5 months ago

TIL There’s a California based hot air balloon company that offers a Mile High Club package for partners interested in doing the deed at 5000 ft. in the air. It includes a whole basket separated by a privacy screen from the pilot, which will be wearing headphones. https://edition.cnn.com/2025/02/08/travel/travel-news-mile-high-club-hot-air-balloon-flights #til #todayilearned https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1ncm2y0/til_theres_a_california_based_hot_air_balloon/

Today I learned 5 months ago

TIL that artist James Turrell owns a two-mile-wide crater in the Arizona desert

Smithsonian Magazine

An Exclusive Look at James Turrell's Visionary Artwork in the Arizona Desert

In the American Southwest, the famed light-bending artist is putting the final touches on Roden Crater, his ambitious, mind-boggling masterpiece

#til #todayilearned https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1n98ntf/til_that_artist_james_turrell_owns_a_twomilewide/

Today I learned 5 months ago

TIL Philippa of England (ca. 1394-1430), daughter of Henry IV. In an alliance with the Nordic Kalmar Union, Henry brokered the marriage of 12-year-old Philippa to Eric, King of Denmark, Norway and Sweden. During the siege of Copenhagen, she kept the enemy at bay and the city did not fall.

Philippa of England - Wikipedia

#til #todayilearned https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1myzolm/til_philippa_of_england_ca_13941430_daughter_of/

Today I learned 5 months ago

TIL On August 11, 1952, the Jordanian parliament forced King Talal to abdicate less than 13 months into his rule due to his mental illness. He would spend the rest of his life in a sanatorium.

Talal of Jordan - Wikipedia

#til #todayilearned https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1mygszj/til_on_august_11_1952_the_jordanian_parliament/

Today I learned 6 months ago

TIL The P53 gene is known as a 'tumor suppressor gene' due to its ability to prevent cancers forming. Whereas humans only have one instance of the gene, elephants have twenty instances and are recorded to have far fewer cancers as a result.

p53 - Wikipedia

#til #todayilearned https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1mw27yr/til_the_p53_gene_is_known_as_a_tumor_suppressor/

Today I learned 6 months ago

TIL 60,000 attended Carmen Miranda’s memorial and over 500,000 joined her funeral procession.

Carmen Miranda - Wikipedia

#til #todayilearned https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1mv1c16/til_60000_attended_carmen_mirandas_memorial_and/

Today I learned 6 months ago

TIL about Janusz Korczak, an educator who refused offers of sanctuary in 1943 and chose to accompany nearly 200 children from his orphanage when they were deported to a death camp. He was never heard from again.

Janusz Korczak - Wikipedia

#til #todayilearned https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1mv0med/til_about_janusz_korczak_an_educator_who_refused/

Today I learned 6 months ago

TIL the mobile game "Send Me to Heaven" involved throwing your phone as high in the air as you can. The creator made it with the hope of destroying as many iPhones as possible, but Apple banned it from the App Store.

Send Me to Heaven - Wikipedia

#til #todayilearned https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1muzwpy/til_the_mobile_game_send_me_to_heaven_involved/

Today I learned 6 months ago

TIL that Portugal produces over half the world’s cork, being home to the largest cork forest and responsible for around 60–70 % of cork exports.

Real Word

17 fun facts about Portugal you probably never knew

Ready for some fun facts about Portugal that will surprise you? Small in size, but large in stature, Portugal has given rise to a medley of firsts ...

#til #todayilearned https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1mqovkl/til_that_portugal_produces_over_half_the_worlds/

Today I learned 6 months ago

TIL (well, yesterday) that the song Red, Red Wine was originally written and sung by Neil Diamond, not UB40. #til #todayilearned https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1mq8nml/til_well_yesterday_that_the_song_red_red_wine_was/

Today I learned 6 months ago

TIL that in Ancient Rome, urine was used as a cleaning product and even taxed by the government.

Smithsonian Magazine

From Gunpowder to Teeth Whitener: The Science Behind Historic Uses of Urine

Preindustrial workers built huge industries based on the liquid's cleaning power and corrosiveness--and the staler the pee, the better

#til #todayilearned https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1morbpq/til_that_in_ancient_rome_urine_was_used_as_a/

Today I learned 6 months ago

TIL Peter Thiel became a New Zealand citizen in 2011 despite only spending 12 days in the country.

CNBC

Peter Thiel got New Zealand citizenship after spending 12 days there in five years

Tech investor Peter Thiel received New Zealand citizenship because of "exceptional circumstances" that would be in the public interest, new documen...

#til #todayilearned https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1mo59we/til_peter_thiel_became_a_new_zealand_citizen_in/

Today I learned 6 months ago

TIL the three toed sloth is an excellent swimmer. They can move 3x faster in water than on land, and can hold their breath for 40 minutes

Pod Volunteer

Read seven amazing facts about sloths | Pod Volunteer

Read our seven fascinating sloth facts, there is more to sloths than you might expect!

#til #todayilearned https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1mnwi07/til_the_three_toed_sloth_is_an_excellent_swimmer/

Today I learned 6 months ago

TIL Unit 731, the Japanese military's medical experimentation research facility in Harbin, China and other branches during WWII, had no surviving prisoners from the experiments and the leaders of the unit weren't prosecuted in exchange for the information they learned from their experiments

Unit 731 - Wikipedia

#til #todayilearned https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1mn0g35/til_unit_731_the_japanese_militarys_medical/

Today I learned 6 months ago

TIL Red bricks from St Louis are of very good quality, and brick thieves sometimes rip apart buildings to take their bricks.

St. Louis Magazine

St. Louis's Brick Thieves

If the story of the three little pigs has a moral, surely it’s that brick buildings are safe and enduring. That may be why the rash of brick ...

#til #todayilearned https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1mmpr41/til_red_bricks_from_st_louis_are_of_very_good/

Today I learned 6 months ago

TIL Despite how her work is often interpreted, Georgia O'Keeffe consistently denied that her artwork was meant to represent female genitalia, stating that "When people read erotic symbols into my paintings, they're really talking about their own affairs."

Georgia O'Keeffe - Wikipedia

#til #todayilearned https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1mmmzl1/til_despite_how_her_work_is_often_interpreted/

Today I learned 6 months ago

TIL traditional Haggis is banned in America for containing sheep lung. In 1971 it became illegal to consume lung. Haggis is no longer brought from UK to US. Haggis can still be made in USA, but not using sheep lungs.

Haggis - Wikipedia

#til #todayilearned https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1mm1wf0/til_traditional_haggis_is_banned_in_america_for/

Today I learned 6 months ago

TIL $2000 is not enough to have a proper job done in the assassination business #til #todayilearned https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1mlx38p/til_2000_is_not_enough_to_have_a_proper_job_done/

Today I learned 6 months ago

TIL that the Gulf of Mexico is supposedly now “The gulf of USA” 😐- super late to this

Gulf of Mexico naming controversy - Wikipedia

#til #todayilearned https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1ml87y8/til_that_the_gulf_of_mexico_is_supposedly_now_the/

Today I learned 6 months ago

TIL CEO Dan Price cut his $1.1M salary to $70K so all employees would earn at least that much. Critics called him a “socialist lunatic" and predicted the company would go bankrupt but the move paid off: Revenue tripled, employee turnover fell, workers paid off debt, bought homes and started families

The boss who put everyone on 70K

A tech boss introduced a $70,000 minimum salary for all his staff - by cutting his own wages. Five years, on he has no regrets.

#til #todayilearned https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1ml4l89/til_ceo_dan_price_cut_his_11m_salary_to_70k_so/